Wednesday, January 23, 2008

On the 26th of this month it’s Australia Day, most Australians think of it as just a day off a day for BBQ’s a holiday

They forget the history behind it they for get the history full stop, never mind about Australia’s national day

History isn’t taught in schools here only as an elective subject we don’t have a Mabo day we don’t think about the slavery the persecution of the “black fella” that went on, the poisoned blankets the murders the shootings, that the Aborigines sometimes fought back that they themselves have culture and songs and community

Culture that isn’t taught, history that isn’t taught

We are taught about the white settlers, we learn about Ned Kelly we see drovers and swagmen and tall ships , convicts and Chinese on the gold fields but the history the “black” history the dreamtime and the culture isn’t taught

There is no Black History month in Australia, our most famous most talked about is Kathy Freeman, you saw the Olympics you saw her.

We don’t have a MLK day, we don’t have marches we don’t have “months” in fact we hardly have anything at all.